VOCAB/ACRONYMS PHM: Past Medical History BP: blood pressure HR: Heart rate A&O x 3 : Alert And Oriented (person,place,time)
OBSERVATIONS
Healthy looking male no apparent distress
very slight muscle wasting in his hand muscles
visible twitching in his left forearm.
TESTS ORDERED AND RESULTS EMG- upper and lower neuron deficiencies. MRI-came back negative ruling out other options.
SYMPTOMS/COMPLAINTS *weakness in his hands *dropped glasses often * trouble holding onto marker and writing on board * hand fatigue very easily *Tripping Frequently
DIAGNOSIS ALS
RATIONALE FOR DIAGNOSIS Our diagnosis is ALS because patients symptoms match up with the signs of ALS. · Trouble swallowing and Twitching · Weakness in hands · Trouble gripping · Clumsy- (Tripping Very frequently). We ordered an EMG and it showed that the patient had upper and lower motor neuron deficiencies & the MRI came back negative ruling out any other options. All of the patients symptoms matched perfectly with ALS; so our Diagnosis was CORRECT!
Complete the following for the disease you diagnosed NAME OF DISEASE: ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease) WHAT IS IT? A disease where all your myelin is lost and you lose all your motor neurons upper and lower. Eventually the only thing you will be able to do on your own is think the rest of your body is completely gone. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE
twitching,
cramping,
stiffness of muscles
muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg
slurred and nasal speech
difficulty chewing or swallowing
HOW DISEASE IS DIAGNOSED (WHAT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND WHAT THEY WOULD SHOW) Electromyography (EMG) may be used to test the health of your muscles and the nerves controlling your muscles. This test is very sensitive in detecting upper and lower motor neuron disease. MRI And CT scans to rule out any other options. TREATMENT Although there is no known cure for ALS, the drug riluzole has been approved for treatment and may slow progression of the disease. PROGNOSIS AND COURSE OF DISEASE Regardless of the part of the body first affected by the disease, muscle weakness and atrophy spread to other parts of the body as the disease progresses. Individuals have increasing problems with moving, swallowing, and speaking or forming words. Eventually people with ALS will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. In later stages of the disease, individuals have difficulty breathing as the muscles of the respiratory system weaken. Although ventilation support can ease problems with breathing and prolong survival, it does not affect the progression of ALS. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 percent of those individuals with ALS survive for 10 or more years. WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE WITH IT (FIND PICTURES AND VIDEOS FOR YOUR WIKI PAGE) http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=687686n&tag=mncol;lst;2
PHM: Past Medical History
BP: blood pressure
HR: Heart rate
A&O x 3 : Alert And Oriented (person,place,time)
EMG- upper and lower neuron deficiencies.
MRI-came back negative ruling out other options.
*weakness in his hands
*dropped glasses often
* trouble holding onto marker and writing on board
* hand fatigue very easily
*Tripping Frequently
ALS
Our diagnosis is ALS because patients symptoms match up with the signs of ALS.
· Trouble swallowing and Twitching
· Weakness in hands
· Trouble gripping
· Clumsy- (Tripping Very frequently).
We ordered an EMG and it showed that the patient had upper and lower motor neuron deficiencies & the MRI came back negative ruling out any other options.
All of the patients symptoms matched perfectly with ALS; so our Diagnosis was CORRECT!
Complete the following for the disease you diagnosed
NAME OF DISEASE:
ALS (Lou Gehrig Disease)
WHAT IS IT?
A disease where all your myelin is lost and you lose all your motor neurons upper and lower. Eventually the only thing you will be able to do on your own is think the rest of your body is completely gone.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF DISEASE
HOW DISEASE IS DIAGNOSED (WHAT DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND WHAT THEY WOULD SHOW)
Electromyography (EMG) may be used to test the health of your muscles and the nerves controlling your muscles. This test is very sensitive in detecting upper and lower motor neuron disease.
MRI And CT scans to rule out any other options.
TREATMENT
Although there is no known cure for ALS, the drug riluzole has been approved for treatment and may slow progression of the disease.
PROGNOSIS AND COURSE OF DISEASE
Regardless of the part of the body first affected by the disease, muscle weakness and atrophy spread to other parts of the body as the disease progresses. Individuals have increasing problems with moving, swallowing, and speaking or forming words. Eventually people with ALS will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. In later stages of the disease, individuals have difficulty breathing as the muscles of the respiratory system weaken. Although ventilation support can ease problems with breathing and prolong survival, it does not affect the progression of ALS. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 percent of those individuals with ALS survive for 10 or more years.
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO LIVE WITH IT (FIND PICTURES AND VIDEOS FOR YOUR WIKI PAGE)
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=687686n&tag=mncol;lst;2